This easy and healthy seafood chowder recipe with sweet potatoes is rich and creamy, but not super heavy like traditional chowder in that you won’t be left feeling like you need a nap 5 minutes later. It’s a perfect cozy meal for any time of year!
This homemade sweet potato chowder features tilapia and scallops, but feel free to use your favorite fish or seafood, like salmon, shrimp, or clams.
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This recipe was developed in partnership with ALDI, originally posted in 2019.
Seafood Sweet Potato Chowder
I know I’ve been sharing a lot of Instant Pot recipes lately, so for my readers who don’t have one, don’t worry – here’s a one pot meal that you don’t need an Instant Pot to make. 🙂
Corn chowder is a classic summer staple, but it’s also super cozy and can easily be made during the rest of the year! This is a lightened-up version that swaps out heavy cream for whole milk, which keeps it perfectly creamy.
Plus, it’s packed with lean protein and veggies like sweet potato, bell peppers, and sweet corn. So it’s highly nutritious but doesn’t skimp on flavor!
Recipe Ingredients
To make this seafood chowder recipe, you’ll need:
- ghee (i. e. clarified butter. Regular butter also works)
- onion
- bell peppers (any color, red is the sweetest!)
- sweet potatoes (You can also use gold potatoes, or any type of potato you like!)
- garlic
- dried thyme
- cayenne pepper
- corn (frozen or canned both work)
- whole milk (This adds a good balance of creaminess that isn’t not too heavy!)
- bay scallops (or crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.)
- tilapia filets (or other white fish, like cod. Salmon also works!)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Pro tip: this soup is delicious paired with crusty bread or oyster crackers! Feel free to also toss in more veggies like diced carrots or celery for added crunch.
How to Make Healthy Seafood Chowder
Start by melting the ghee (clarified butter) in a large pot on the stovetop over medium heat.
Then, add the onion, peppers, garlic (hot tip: save time with garlic stir-in paste or pre-minced garlic), thyme, and cayenne. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Toss in your diced sweet potatoes and corn and cook for another minute or so.
Next up: add the milk, then bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Once the sweet potatoes are soft, you’ll want to puree a bit of the mixture to add some body/mouthfeel to the soup. This adds creaminess without the need for heavy cream!
If you have an immersion blender, simply blend briefly/partially.
If you’re working with a regular blender, remove about 1/3 of the soup, blend it, and then pour it back in.
Now it’s time for the stars of the show: the bay scallops and the tilapia!
Simply toss them in the soup, then cook on low heat another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the scallops are opaque and the tilapia is flaky.
Now all there is left to do is ladle into bowls and enjoy!
I recommend savoring this healthy seafood chowder with a side of toast for dipping, but you do you.
Feel free to toss some scallions on there for a little color, too.
Either way – I hope you enjoy this cozy chowder!
Storage Tips
Store any seafood chowder leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Want more delicious soup and stew recipes? Check these out:
- Cozy & Veggie-Packed Tortellini Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
- Easy & Nourishing Turkey and Wild Rice Soup (or Chicken)
- Lentil Vegan Chili With Sweet Potatoes
- Thai Vegan Tofu Curry with Watermelon Rind (Super Easy & Cozy)
- Veggie-Packed Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup (Easy Prep)
Healthy Seafood Chowder Recipe with Sweet Potato (One Pot)
This healthy seafood chowder recipe is rich, creamy, and flavorful, but without being heavy like traditional chowder.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ghee (or butter)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup diced bell peppers (about 2 small peppers)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 cup whole kernel frozen corn (or canned, drained)
- 3 cups whole milk
- 8 oz bay scallops (fresh)
- 3/4 pound fresh tilapia fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
- salt and pepper, to taste
- For serving (optional): crusty bread, chopped scallions
Instructions:
- Melt ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, garlic, thyme, and cayenne. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
- Add the sweet potatoes and corn to the pot. Cook for another minute to incorporate.
- Add the milk. Turn heat to high and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Remove about 1/3 of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth, then add back into the pot -- or use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup.
- Add the scallops and tilapia and cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes, until cooked through. The scallops will be opaque and the tilapia will flake apart when pressed.
- Garnish with scallions and serve with toast on the side.
Notes:
Thank you to ALDI for sponsoring this post, originally posted in 2019.
